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The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
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Rose Petals and Snowflakes
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Realm Makers Opens Registration to Eleventh Annual Speculative Fiction Writers Conference
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Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
Dream of Kings, Sharon Hinck
The Change, Bradley Caffee
Quest of Fire: Desperation, Brett Armstrong
Wishtress, Nadine Brandes
Flight, Kristen Young
The Deliverer, Jason William Karpf
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147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
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146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
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145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
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142. What Christmas Gift ‘Tools, Not Toys’ Helped You Grow As a Person?
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A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
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Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“New and returning readers of all ages would do well to seek deeper magic within C. S. Lewis’s faithful classic.”
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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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Let There Be Snow—CSFF Blog Tour, Day 1

Landon’s land. That’s not an official name for it, but the fantasy world that Landon Snow and eventually both his sisters are drawn into has a unique need for him. I am, of course, referring to the middle grade fantasy […]
Rebecca LuElla Miller on Nov 13, 2006
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Landon’s land. That’s not an official name for it, but the fantasy world that Landon Snow and eventually both his sisters are drawn into has a unique need for him. I am, of course, referring to the middle grade fantasy novels by R. K. Mortenson.

This month the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) Blog Tour is featuring the third in the Landon Snow series, Landon Snow and the Island of Arcanum (Barbour Publishing). One look at the cover or at the drawings at the beginning of each chapter, and you can see the promise of fun that awaits. For samples, see the Landon Snow web site.

Beyond the wonderful packaging—art work, paper quality, hard cover, colored print—the writing makes these books worthy additions to a fantasy-lover’s library, not to mention a desirable Christmas gift for any middle grade reader.

Here’s a sample:

Even Bridget’s little voice echoed in the tall marble lobby. “Do you think we should be in here?” Landon’s shoes squeaked as if he were on a basketball court. He finally resorted to walking on his tiptoes to keep them quiet. The chandelier sparkled high overhead. As they passed by the rowboat-shaped tombstone for the library’s famous founder, Bartholomew G. Benneford, Landon stopped, squeak, and motioned for his sisters to stop too.

“Listen,” he said, half turning his head. “What is that noise?”

It sounded rather like a drum. Like one of those big drums in a symphony orchestra—a kettle drum or timpani. Plumb. Plumb.

It was quiet.

And then— plumb.

“Over there,” said Bridget, her voice light as a feather.

At the far end of the lobby, opposite the log wall of Bart’s Reading Room, something round and large and red sat on the floor. Plumb. Bridget was right, the sound seemed to be coming from it. They crept closer, and a tiny swift movement caught Landon’s eye …

That little snippet gives you a taste of Mortenson’s voice. Writers talk about the importance of voice, though it is a difficult thing to define and harder to create. But when a writer has it, it seems to leap off the page.

In my opinion, Mortenson’s voice comes in part from his sense of humor and in part from his sense of intrigue. He isn’t afraid to judiciously use adverbs (those dreaded -ly’s that Browne-and-King disciples scrub off every page). Or rhyme, if it helps characterize the Odds, the former name of the people in the fantasy world. There’s a bit of tongue firmly pressing the cheek to his writing. It’s fun. But it’s serious too.

I highly recommend the entire series; all three books are small, easy to read, and delightful. But don’t take my word alone. Check out what the other bloggers on the tour are saying:

  • Jim Black
  • Jackie Castle
  • Valerie Comer
  • Frank Creed
  • Gene Curtis
  • Chris Deanne
  • Janey DeMeo
  • April Erwin
  • Beth Goddard
  • Todd Michael Greene
  • Leathel Grody
  • Karen Hancock
  • Katie Hart
  • Sherrie Hibbs
  • Sharon Hinck
  • Joleen Howell
  • Jason Joyner
  • Karen and at Karen’s myspace
  • Oliver King
  • Tina Kulesa
  • Lost Genre Guild
  • Kevin Lucia
  • Rachel Marks
  • Shannon McNear
  • Rebecca LuElla Miller
  • Caleb Newell
  • John Otte
  • Cheryl Russel
  • Hannah Sandvig
  • Mirtika Schultz
  • Stuart Stockton
  • Steve Trower
  • Speculative Faith
  • Chris Walley
  • Daniel I. Weaver
  • Rebecca LuElla Miller
    Best known for her aspirations as an epic fantasy author, Becky is the sole remaining founding member of Speculative Faith. Besides contributing weekly articles here, she blogs Monday through Friday at A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She works as a freelance writer and editor and posts writing tips as well as information about her editing services at Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
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    Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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